Hizb ut-Tahrir: Should India be worried about the terror group?

The United States of America announced that a group known as the Hizb ut-Tahrir had the potential of becoming more dangerous than the ISIS. While one would need to wait and watch how true that would turn out to be, the important aspect is that this group figures quite high on India's list of dangerous outfits.

Indian agencies say that this group largely relies on political leaders and students in a bid to push its agenda. There are wings of this group across the world, but in the Sub-Continent, it has a prominent presence in Bangladesh and spills over into India.

What is the Hiz ut-Tahrir?

Hizb ut-Tahrir a pan Islamic political organization spread across the world. They list their goals as unifying all Muslim countries as an Islamic State of the caliphate. With a goal to implement the Sharia law, this outfit was founded in 1953 by a group of Sunni Muslims in Jerusalem.

It is said to be most active in the United Kingdom and some Arab nations as well. It has strong presence in Bangladesh and a good clout among the students in India.

The outfit states that it intends to provide security to both Muslims and non-Muslims in the Muslim dominated countries through the establishment of an Islamic state and implementation of the Sharia law.

The coup in Bangladesh

When this outfit launched in Bangladesh, it had with it 16 officers of the army in that country. These members were actively aiding the group in a bid to overthrow Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The nature of the coup staged by them was very similar to the one undertaken by the Jamaat-e-Islami.

The Jamaat-e-Islami through its militant wing the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh had planned a similar coup and this what we got to witness when the Burdhwan module was busted.

The Bangladesh coup by the Hizb ut-Tahrir was however unsuccessful as the government got wind of it and cracked down heavily on them.

The worry for India

In India there has not been a overwhelming presence of the group. However it is present in pockets and Intelligence Bureau officials tell oneindia that local political leaders often use this group to further a vote bank agenda.

However the worry for India is that there are a good number of students who subscribe to their school of thought. The group has organized seminars in Delhi among students and the main topics have always focused round Israel.

Political styled operation

Till date there has been no instance of any violence undertaken by this group. The functioning is largely political and they appear to be going around stirring passions among the youth.

This group was quite prominent when it came out with a group of 1000 members and protested against the Batla House encounter in 2010. While that meeting was considered to be a success, the group gradually dwindled over the years.

What the Intelligence Bureau says is that there is a need to watch their activities since they appear to be pushing a hardcore political agenda which lures people into beleiveing that an Islamic State would be established.

Al-Qaeda, ISIS too want Islamic State

Both the Al-Qaeda and the ISIS which now operate in the sub-continent have been pushing for the establishment of an Islamic State. The agenda is common to the one being spoken about by the Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The Hizb ut-Tahrir is more likely to side with the Al-Qaeda in the sub-continent, officials point out. With a common agenda the Al-Qaeda and the Hizb ut-Tahrir could come together and further that cause since the latter does have the capability of pulling in youth into its fold.

The message for India

What is worrying for India is that the Hizb ut-Tahrir has a clear message for India. They are clearly upset with the manner in which the ties between India and Bangladesh is growing.

As per the admission of the group, it states that Sheikh Hasina was brought to power by the Americans with India's help. This was done to prevent the establishment of an Islamic State and contain the rise of China.

India is using agents in Bangladesh to thwart attempts of setting up of an Islamic state. Hence there is a need to address this issue and solve the problem, the group has also claimed.